1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or a facsimileing machine; and specifically relates to an image forming apparatus in which image formation is performed by forming a toner image on the surface of a latent image carrier and then by transferring the toner image from the latent image carrier onto a transfer member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among such image forming apparatuses, some apparatuses are known to include a process cartridge (an imaging unit) having a single frame that integrally supports at least two replacement modules from among a latent image carrier module having a latent image carrier such as a photosensitive member, a cleaning module having a cleaning device for cleaning the surface of the latent image carrier, and a developing module having a developing device for performing a developing operation with respect to the surface of the latent image carrier. In particular, in an image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H1-038760, the latent image carrier module, the cleaning module, and the developing module that are supported by an imaging unit are configured to be individually-replaceable replacement modules. In the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H1-038760, the imaging unit is supported in a slidable manner in the direction of the rotary shaft of the latent image carrier between the installation position of the imaging unit inside the main body of the image forming apparatus and the exposure position at which the imaging unit is exposed to the outside of the image forming apparatus. In this image forming apparatus, the imaging unit is slid and pulled out up to the exposure position on the outside of the image forming apparatus, and can be retained in that condition. Then, while the imaging unit is held in that condition, the replacement modules can be replaced.
As is the case of the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H1-038760, when a latent image carrier module and a cleaning module are detachably attachable with respect to the imaging unit, following issues arise.
When the cleaning module is removed from the imaging unit, the surface of the latent image carrier separates from the cleaning member. At the time of separation, the transfer residual toner that was accumulated at the abutting portion of the cleaning member remains attached on that portion on the surface of the latent image carrier against which the cleaning member was abutting (i.e., on a cleaning-module-facing surface portion). Besides, in an image forming apparatus including a mechanism for supplying a lubricant agent to the surface of the latent image carrier, the lubricant agent also remains attached along with the transfer residual toner. Due to the physical impact at the time of removing the latent image carrier, the attached material such as the transfer residual toner or the lubricant agent that remains attached to the cleaning-module-facing surface portion on the surface of the latent image carrier spills out from the surface of the latent image carrier, and gets attached to the clothes of the operator or falls down on the floor thereby making it dirty.
Therefore, there is a need for an image forming apparatus in which the attached material that remains attached to the cleaning-module-facing surface portion on the surface of the latent image carrier is prevented from spilling out from the surface of the latent image carrier.